


Bella Venezia

by Bonne_Niviati



Category: Assassin's Creed
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-12-03
Updated: 2011-12-03
Packaged: 2017-10-26 20:28:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,648
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/287508
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bonne_Niviati/pseuds/Bonne_Niviati
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ezio takes a little time to comfort his oldest friend.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Bella Venezia

_“My door is always open!”_

The words rang about Ezio’s head as he mulled them over for the hundredth time.

What had he meant?

It had been a few days since they had parted, so soon after seeing each other again for the first time in far too long.

From down in the city, a bell rung somewhere, and broke Ezio’s stupor.

He was perched atop a church, high enough that he knew he was out of sight for all those that stalked the rooftops. Despite the glittering view of Venezia that sprawled out underneath him, he did not look.

He wasn’t really seeing anything at the moment.

 _Perhaps it is fatigue_ , Ezio reasoned, rubbing his eyes under the hood. The journey here was a lot more draining then he had ever expected it to be, and he hadn’t had a proper chance to rest since arriving.

The evening was slowly drawing upon the city and the air was cooling down quickly. The people below moved together in tight night groups, huddled up and carrying a few lamps in their midst. The lights made little glowing trails to Ezio’s misted eyes; all leading to the same place.

How long should he wait before seeking him out again, so soon after saying goodbye?

Ezio placed a hand on the pocket of his robes, checking he still had the codex he had found just this morning.

 _If I am to visit_ , he thought to himself with a brief glance up at the stars blossoming in the sky, _I’d best do it soon_.

He readjusted his hood, and took one deep breath of the night before plunging off the roof.

~ 

Venezia was always so different at night.

Ezio walked slowly tonight, drinking it all in as he passed.

The soft glow of lamps behind curtains warmed the streets bathed in little else besides but moonlight.

The sky was a darkening shade of cobalt, but the ever encroaching night did not seem to bother the giggling groups of courtesans swanning about, or deter the seemingly endless enthusiasm of the bards, their lutes playing a different sound now then in the day.

There was much life in the dark here, and on another night he would have smiled at the hive of people, the smiles and chiming voices.

It reminded him of Firenze, of when life had been good.

The memories of those times didn’t ache as much now.

He did smile a little as he gently pushed past a small group of chatting women, four faces looking up at the eldest in revelry, hanging on her every barked word.

~ 

His mind was clouded tonight, almost apprehensive.

His footsteps were heavy, and he didn’t know why. He usually traveled to Leonardo’s workshop with a light step, excited at the prospect of a new schematic or weapon, of seeing the maestro positively light up as he set to work decoding and scribbling.

Ezio would watch with a smirk as he fell upon them with such enthusiasm, mumbling to himself about transposing letters and shifting the words about.

It was all completely foreign to Ezio, but he had enjoyed the time spent in the workshop, back in Firenze. The smells of wet paint and parchment were all something of a comfort to him now.

Then there was Leonardo himself, and that smile that seemed permanently fixed upon his face.

Ezio almost bumped into a frail looking old man, and after a conciliatory pat on the fellow’s back, he hurried off, hoping his renewed speed might wake him up a little.

~ 

Ezio turned the corner, he was close now, to where they had said goodbye for the first time in a long while, both men relieved to be in Venezia at last, smiling warmly at each other.

Even so, it had been a surprise to see Leonardo open up his arms, a yielding invitation that had struck Ezio dumfounded for a moment.

But then he took it, took him into his arms.

It had begun as little more then a friendly embrace, a greeting to an old friend, but as soon as Ezio had been ready to move away, he felt himself pulled in just that little closer.

The embrace had lingered.

But somehow he hadn’t minded.

But all that was to be expected, yes? Leonardo was his oldest friend, the one he trusted above all others...

Ezio’s throat became suddenly very dry at the prospect of seeing the painter again, an indescribable feeling.

As he turned the corner that led into the square outside Leonardo’s house, he removed the codex from his robes, and gripped it tightly in his hand, trying, but only halfheartedly, to think of something other then that piercing blue gaze.

~ 

It took Ezio a little while to build up the courage to push open the heavy wooden door. His fingers traced over the fine carvings that adorned it.

The grand door was much heavier then the one in Firenze, but it creaked open, and Ezio peered inside before taking a hesitant step forwards.

The workshop was much bigger, but then Leonardo had still not had ample time to unpack everything. All that was in the room were a few shoddy armchairs, and one long table which, of course, had already been plastered with parchments, sketches and small ticking devices.

Bookcases adorned the walls, and Ezio could smell the musky scent even from the doorway, and memories of Petruccio came flooding back, a young, bright boy flying at his brother with his arms full of the thick leather-bound books his father kept in his study, bragging about all he had learnt that day.

Ezio’s grip around the codex scroll tightened further, as he spyed the artist with a dozen books under his arm, slowly filling up the bookcases, but getting a little distracted by each text, flicking through the pages with one hand before setting it in its place.

Ezio cleared his throat, but Leonardo did not hear.

Cursing under his breath, Ezio called his name a little louder.

Leonardo started a little, almost dropping the books before turning to see a familiar hooded figure lurking in his doorway.

“Ezio!” he called out, his face splitting into a grin. “Back so soon?”

As Ezio nervously stepped into the light of the workshop and closed the door behind him with a soft thud, Leonardo was flying across the room, hastily dropping the books onto the long table with a clatter.

Before Leonardo had quite reached him Ezio held up the scroll, and another smile blossomed on the maestros’s fair face.

“Ah, another one!” he cried.

 _“Si.”_

With a swish of a cloak Leonardo had closed the gap, seizing the codex in one hand, and placing a kiss on the corner of Ezio’s mouth.

It froze him to the spot.

He could only stare stupidly at Leonardo, whose own eyes were wide, looking up at him with something that looked an awful lot like fear.

A small shiver had run through Ezio’s body as they had touched. It filled him with that same peace he had cherished of the artist, but it was a warmer feeling, so much more personal.

Leonardo opened his mouth, most likely to stammer some sort of apology, but Ezio smiled as he pushed a finger to the artists lips, and shushed him gently, pushing back his hood with the other hand.

The trepidation instantly melted from Leonardo’s eyes as Ezio’s hand moved from his lips to cradle his face, and then he saw something else in that stare.

A tenderness that made Ezio’s heart ache a little, a golden spark of something unconditional.

Leonardo had covered Ezio’s hand with his own, a bright smile finding his face again.

It drew him in.

He saw Leonardo’s eyes flicker closed a second before his own as their lips met again in a gentle embrace.

 _How could a man be so warm?_

Ezio sighed into their kiss, and felt a tentative hand upon his hip, pulling him in just a little closer, just as before.

His hands wove into the back of the artists fair hair, caressing the lower part of his neck with a soft touch, everything about this man seemed so delicate, and Ezio was worried if he were to hold him that he’d simply break.

The hand on his waist tightened a little, and was quickly followed by another on the opposite side, Leonardo pulled him into his chest as he parted his mouth a little more.

Ezio could sense the want in his kiss, the need for a little comfort, the need for someone to return his affections. He smiled as their embrace broke for only the briefest moment, knowing that the artist’s days of loneliness were finally at an end.

He felt Leonardo’s grasp on his hip increase further still as he slowly slid a tongue into their kiss, a lazy smile still on his lips. The artist was quick to entwine it with his own, a slow, twirling dance.

Ezio simply let himself melt into that moment.

Leonardo was the first to pull away, and for a moment he looked cautious, as though looking for a sign of whether this were some cruel trick or joke, but seeing the genuine little grin on Ezio’s face, he sighed his relief, and beamed back up at him, his face and lips still flushed.

It was all he could do not to kiss the artist again.

Words had failed them both, and the nose of the streets outside was beginning to return to Ezio’s ears. The muffled buzzing of people and voices all seemed so distant to him now, now that he was here surrounded by so much warmth.

Leonardo was still staring up at him with sparkling eyes, and Ezio laughed as he reached for the mans hand, lifting it to his lips with a gentle kiss.

 _“Amore.”_


End file.
